Dominion Strategic Holdings LLC / Services
Industry Focus
Financial Consulting for Restaurants
Restaurant financial consulting works on the numbers that decide whether a location survives: prime cost, menu-level contribution margin, labour as a percentage of sales, and the cash cycle. Blended margins hide which dishes and which locations actually earn.
Prime cost is the number that decides the business
Cost of goods plus labour, as a share of sales. It is the single ratio most operators track and most books do not report cleanly, because purchases and payroll are rarely allocated by location or daypart.
Getting it right per location, per period, is the difference between knowing a site is struggling and finding out at year end.
What you receive
- Prime cost by location and period, calculated consistently
- Menu-level contribution margin against sales mix
- Labour analysis - hours, overtime and productivity against sales
- Multi-location profit and loss with shared costs allocated properly
- Cash flow forecast that accounts for the payables cycle
- Break-even by location, with the covers or average check needed
Menu-level margin changes decisions
A dish can be popular and unprofitable at the same time. Contribution margin by item, set against how often it sells, is what tells you which items to reprice, reformulate or remove — and what that does to the bottom line.
Who this is for
- Independent restaurants and small groups
- Operators opening a second or third location
- Owners preparing a loan or investor package
- Groups whose books do not separate locations cleanly
Turnaround. Most engagements are delivered in 3 to 8 days; ongoing reporting runs as a monthly retainer.
Fees are quoted per engagement and are not published. Inquire and you will receive a written proposal with a fixed fee, a fixed scope and a delivery date, at no charge.
Frequently asked questions
- What is prime cost in a restaurant?
- Cost of goods sold plus total labour, expressed as a percentage of sales. It is the ratio operators watch most closely because together those two lines determine whether the location can carry its fixed costs.
- How do I know which menu items are profitable?
- Through contribution margin by item measured against sales mix. Popularity and profitability are different things, and the items that need attention are usually the popular ones with thin margins.
- Do you work with restaurants in Puerto Rico?
- Yes. The firm is based in San Juan and works with operators across Puerto Rico and the mainland United States, in English and Spanish.
Related services
Request a proposal
Tell us what decision the analysis needs to support. You will receive a written proposal with a fixed fee, a fixed scope and a delivery date — prepared at no charge and with no obligation.
787-420-4655 · daniel.torrens@dominionstrategicholdings.com · San Juan, Puerto Rico